Gaining admission to top colleges is becoming increasingly competitive, especially for students interested in pursuing highly-selective programs such as pre-med. This is why biology students should engage in plenty of biology activities and extracurriculars to help bolster their college applications.

Participating in STEM-related extracurriculars helps demonstrate a student’s passion and commitment to the intended major. Furthermore, suppose a student has plans to become a doctor or a veterinarian. In that case, they will need to have lots of volunteer hours and practical experience to be on track for their intended course of study. In other words, not only will participating in STEM activities and extracurricular activities help students gain admission into their top-choice schools, but it will also help ease the transition between their high school and college studies.

In this article, we will review which extracurricular activities look best for biology applicants and provide several lists of biology extracurriculars for you to explore.

List of biology extracurricular activities

Joining biology clubs can be a great way to challenge yourself and find ways to demonstrate leadership skills in high school. Consider the list of extracurricular activities for students interested in biology below:

  • Anatomy Club
  • Biology Club
  • Environmental Club
  • Future Vets Club
  • Neuroscience Club
  • Pre-Med Club
  • Red Cross Club
  • Science National Honor Society
  • Sports Medicine Club

List of biology extracurricular activities

Joining biology clubs can be a great way to challenge yourself and find ways to demonstrate leadership skills in high school. Consider the list of extracurricular activities for students interested in biology below:

  • Anatomy Club
  • Biology Club
  • Environmental Club
  • Future Vets Club
  • Neuroscience Club
  • Pre-Med Club
  • Red Cross Club
  • Science National Honor Society
  • Sports Medicine Club
  • Genetics Club

How many extracurricular activities should you join?

While you may feel motivated to join several STEM extracurriculars, do your best to contribute meaningfully to each extracurricular activity you are involved in.

College admissions officers are not impressed by applicants with a long list of extracurriculars if they are only peripherally involved in each activity. Rather, college admissions officers are looking for students pursuing leadership roles who are active in their communities. In other words, rather than focus on quantity, focus on quality instead.

Academic competitions

In addition to STEM extracurricular activities and biology club activities, students should participate in academic competitions and regional science fairs.

For example, the Biology Olympiad is a prestigious opportunity for high school biology students. According to its 2023 brochure: “The USA Biolympiad (USABO) stimulates young scholars’ intellectual curiosity and develops their critical thinking in laboratory skills and biological reasoning to propel them to excellence and leadership in science and technology. Nearly 11,000 students register annually to participate in this prestigious opportunity.”

The Regeneron Science Talent Search is another prestigious competition to consider participating in. In fact, it is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and mathematics competition. According to its website: “Each year, nearly 1,900 students enter the Regeneron STS, submitting original research in critically important scientific fields of study. Unique among high school competitions, the Regeneron STS focuses on identifying, inspiring, and engaging the most promising scientists among the nation’s high school seniors.”

Volunteering, job shadowing, and completing internships

One of the reasons why extracurricular activities are important is that they expose students to potential career paths. By gaining real-life biology experience through high school internships, volunteering, and job shadow opportunities, students are able to have a better understanding of their academic and career goals. Not only is this a great experience, but it will probably save them a lot of time in the long run!

Having plenty of volunteer hours is especially important for students interested in studying veterinary science or pre-med. You may want to consider reaching out to some of the following places and organizations for volunteer opportunities:

  • Hospitals
  • Nursing Homes
  • EMT volunteer programs
  • American Red Cross
  • Alzheimer’s Association​
  • American Cancer Society​
  • American Heart Association​
  • Doctors Without Borders
  • HOSA-Future Health Professionals

Pre-college summer programs for biology students

High school can be overwhelming at times, especially if you are actively preparing for college. Between AP classes and standardized tests, sometimes the best time to focus on your extracurriculars is during the summer. Many high-achieving students choose to attend pre-college summer programs. Take a look at some of the biology and STEM-focused pre-college summer programs below!

 

If you are interested in learning about more pre-college summer programs that may be available to you, check out our list of pre-college summer programs.

Key takeaways and moving forward

In addition to pursuing volunteer opportunities and science extracurriculars, motivated students may choose to pursue a high school passion project. Passion projects are a great way to learn new skills, gain confidence, and delve more fully into your academic and extracurricular interests. They are also a great way to showcase your strengths and extracurricular interests during the college admissions process.

Regardless of which science extracurricular activities you decide to pursue, make sure you commit to them fully and do your best to contribute meaningfully to each organization. After all, college admissions officers are looking for passionate and committed students intent on investing themselves in their various communities.

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Coming up with the perfect college list takes a lot of research and a bit of strategy. Start by writing a list of personal priorities. For instance, maybe you only want to go to a school in an urban setting. Or stay close to home. Perhaps you’re really passionate about an extracurricular activity and want to make sure it’s offered at the school you attend. Overall, there are lots of factors to include on your list of priorities, including class size, location, academic programs offered, and study abroad opportunities.

After you come up with your list of criteria, you can start researching colleges! The most important factor to remember during this process is to make sure to include 2-3 safety schools on your college list — regardless of how impressive your college application may be. In this article, we will review 15 of the best safety schools for you to consider. Remember, though, there are plenty of good safety schools for top students beyond just this list. So rather than only look at colleges on this list, use this list of best safety colleges as a starting point for further research.

What are safety schools?

Before we provide you with a list of safety schools, let’s answer some basic questions. To start, what are safety schools, and how many safety schools should you have on your college list?

A “safety” school is a school that you have a 75% chance of being admitted into based on your academic profile and list of extracurricular activities. This means that you are in the 75th percentile of accepted students regarding test scores and grades. If you’re feeling a bit confused right now, don’t worry! We’ve listed both the 25th and 75th percentile for grades and test scores in our list of the best safety schools for your convenience.

Next, it’s important to note that safety schools vary depending on the specific student. A safety school for one student may very well be a “target” or “reach” school for another student. Just know each student is different, and it’s possible to get a great education at lots of schools, even less selective ones.

When answering the question, what safety schools should I apply to? make sure to include at least 2-3 safety colleges on your list, no matter how impressive your college application may be. College admissions are becoming increasingly competitive, and there are no guarantees when it comes to college admissions! Therefore, the best way to proceed is to make sure that you have plenty of options.

How many reach, target, and safety schools should I have?

Now that we’ve answered the question, how many safety schools should I have?, let’s talk about target and reach schools. As you continue to consider how to find the right college for you, you’ll want to apply to 4-5 target schools and 2-3 reach schools. But what are target and reach schools?

Target schools are schools where you have a 50% chance of being admitted. This means that you fall within the 50th percentile in terms of the admitted students’ grades and test scores. Reach schools are schools where you have a 25% chance of being admitted. This means that you fall within the 25th percentile of the admitted students’ grades and test scores. Again, we have these figures listed in the list below for your convenience.

It’s worth noting that no matter how capable a student may be, colleges with acceptance rates below 20% should never be considered target or safety schools. On a related note, most safety schools should have acceptance rates slightly below or above 75%.

What does “Yield Protection” mean?

You may or may not have heard the term “yield protection” before in your college research. But it’s important to understand this concept when selecting safety schools for top students.

So what is it? Basically, yield protection is a strategy employed by less selective yet prestigious colleges to maintain their prestige. So what does this look like exactly? In practice, a school may reject or waitlist an exceptional student who they believe is likely to get into and attend another school. Although the student is qualified to attend, the student may not be admitted because the school is trying to protect its reputation and admission statistics.

This is an important factor to keep in mind for students interested in top safety colleges. It may also affect a competitive applicant’s list of target schools as well. To be on the safe side, research the colleges on your college list to see if they use yield protection.

15 best safety schools for your college list

Good safety colleges depend on the student in question. As you go through the following safety colleges list, make sure the schools you are interested in reflect some, if not most, of your personal priorities. In other words, don’t just look at the schools with the lowest acceptance rates. Rather, consider each school in regard to its unique cultural and academic values.

1. Florida International University

Location: Miami, Florida

Undergraduate Population: 46,079

Acceptance Rate: 64%

Admitted SAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 1060-1240

Admitted ACT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 21-27

Average Admitted GPA (50th Percentile): 3.9

Tuition: $6,566 (in-state), $18,964 (out-of-state)

Learn more about Florida International University and its admissions requirements

2. Indiana University, Bloomington

Location: Bloomington, Indiana

Undergraduate Population: 34,253

Acceptance Rate: 85%

Admitted SAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 1160-1380

Admitted ACT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 26-32

Average Admitted GPA (50th Percentile): 3.7

Tuition: $11,447 (in-state), $39,120 (out-of-state)

Learn more about Indiana University Bloomington and its admissions requirements here.

3. Kent State University

Location: Kent, Ohio

Undergraduate Population: 21,133

Acceptance Rate: 87%

Admitted SAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 1000-1210

Admitted ACT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 19-25

Average Admitted GPA (50th Percentile): 3.6

Tuition: $12,464 (in-state), $21,570 (out-of-state)

Learn more about Kent State University and its admissions requirements here.

4. Midwestern State University

Location: Wichita Falls, Texas

Undergraduate Population: 5,041

Acceptance Rate: 95%

Admitted SAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 940-1140

Admitted ACT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 17-22

Average Admitted GPA (50th Percentile): N/A

Tuition: $9,776 (in-state), $11,726 (out-of-state)

Learn more about Midwestern State University and its admissions requirements here.

5. Montclair State University

Location: Montclair, New Jersey

Undergraduate Population: 16,093

Acceptance Rate: 91%

Admitted SAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 1010-1210

Admitted ACT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): N/A

Average Admitted GPA (50th Percentile): 3.3

Tuition: $13,760 (in-state), $22,470 (out-of-state)

Learn more about Montclair State University and its admissions requirements here.

6. Purdue University

Location: West Lafayette, Indiana

Undergraduate Population: 37,101

Acceptance Rate: 69%

Admitted SAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 1190-1430

Admitted ACT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 26-33

Average Admitted GPA (50th Percentile): 3.7

Tuition: $9,992 (in-state), $28,794 (out-of-state)

Learn more about Purdue University and its admissions requirements here.

7. University of Colorado, Boulder

Location: Boulder, Colorado

Undergraduate Population: 30,936

Acceptance Rate: 80%

Admitted SAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 1170-1390

Admitted ACT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 25-31

Average Admitted GPA (50th Percentile): 3.7

Tuition: $13,106 (in-state), $40,356 (out-of-state)

Learn more about University of Colorado, Boulderand its admissions requirements here.

8. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Location: Champaign, Illinois

Undergraduate Population: 34,779

Acceptance Rate: 60%

Admitted SAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 1330-1530

Admitted ACT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 29-34

Average Admitted GPA (50th Percentile): N/A

Tuition: $17,138 (in-state), $35,110 (out-of-state)

Learn more about University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and its admissions requirements here.

9. University of Iowa

Location: Iowa City, Iowa

Undergraduate Population: 21,608

Acceptance Rate: 86%

Admitted SAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 1130-1350

Admitted ACT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 22-29

Average Admitted GPA (50th Percentile): 3.8

Tuition: $9,942 (in-state), $31,904 (out-of-state)

Learn more about University of Iowa and its admissions requirements here.

10. University of Maine at Farmington

Location: Farmington, Maine

Undergraduate Population: 1,580

Acceptance Rate: 97%

Admitted SAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 1000-1226

Admitted ACT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 27-29

Average Admitted GPA (50th Percentile): 3.2

Tuition: $9,890 (in-state), $21,650 (out-of-state)

Learn more about University of Maine at Farmington and its admissions requirements here.

11. University of Minnesota

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Undergraduate Population: 36,209

Acceptance Rate: 73%

Admitted SAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 1310-1490

Admitted ACT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 27-32

Average Admitted GPA (50th Percentile): N/A

Tuition: $15,859 (in-state), $35,099 (out-of-state)

Learn more about the University of Minnesota and its admissions requirements here.

12. University of Southern Mississippi

Location: Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Undergraduate Population: 10,693

Acceptance Rate: 96%

Admitted SAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): N/A

Admitted ACT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 19-26

Average Admitted GPA (50th Percentile): 3.5

Tuition: $9,340 (in-state), $11,340 (out-of-state)

Learn more about the University of Southern Mississippi and its admissions requirements here.

13. University of Wyoming

Location: Laramie, Wyoming

Undergraduate Population: 8,869

Acceptance Rate: 97%

Admitted SAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 1070-1275

Admitted ACT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 21-27

Average Admitted GPA (50th Percentile): 3.5

Tuition: $6,621 (in-state), $21,771 (out-of-state) 

Learn more about the University of Wyoming and its admissions requirements here.

14. Virginia Tech

Location: Blacksburg, Virginia

Undergraduate Population: 29,760

Acceptance Rate: 56%

Admitted SAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 1210-1410

Admitted ACT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 26-32

Average Admitted GPA (50th Percentile): 3.9

Tuition: $15,208 (in-state), $34,838 (out-of-state)

Learn more about Virginia Tech and its admissions requirements here.

15. Wheaton College

Location: Wheaton, Illinois

Undergraduate Population: 2,322

Acceptance Rate: 86%

Admitted SAT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 1250-1440

Admitted ACT Scores (25th-75th Percentile): 27-32

Average Admitted GPA (50th Percentile): 3.7

Tuition: $11,920 (in-state), $42,240 (out-of-state)

Learn more about Wheaton College and its admissions requirements here.

Still asking yourself, how many safety schools should I apply to? Start with two and go from there! Depending on your situation, you may be most interested in test-optional colleges or maybe even ​​top public universities in the West. Unsure about the differences between colleges and universities? Reach up on the differences ​​here!

Unsure about the differences between colleges and universities? Reach up on the differences ​​here!

Key takeaways and moving forward

Knowing how to make a list of colleges to apply to takes a lot of time and research. Hopefully, our list of the best safety schools will help you with your research and stay organized during the college application process. You will also want to explore state schools during your research. State schools are often diverse and offer a wide range of majors. They also prioritize admitted students from their state. This is why it’s often a good idea to include at least one state school on your college list. In the meantime, if you have more questions about your college list, yield protection, or your college admissions strategy, reach out to learn more about our services.